Takapau is a small rural community in the Central Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres west of Waipukurau, off State Highway 2, and has a population of more than 500.[3]
Takapau | |
|---|---|
Rural community | |
 Takapau in 1958 | |
 | |
| Coordinates: 40°02′S 176°21′E / 40.033°S 176.350°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Hawke's Bay |
| Territorial authority | Central Hawke's Bay District |
| Ward | Aramoana-Ruahine |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Central Hawke's Bay District Council |
| • Regional council | Hawke's Bay Regional Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.18 km2 (1.23 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 235 m (771 ft) |
| Population (June 2024)[2] | |
• Total | 700 |
| • Density | 220/km2 (570/sq mi) |
The original township was founded in 1876 by farmer Sydney Johnston from Oruawharo station. Johnston's family donated land for a school and churches, and built the local library, public hall and, later, Plunket rooms. Many streets are named after members of the family.[3]
Takapau was once the centre of a large flax milling industry, and the community takes its name from the flax that grew in the expansive Takapau plains. The Māori word translates literally as "mat" or "carpet".[3]
The largest business in Takapau is now the Silverfern Farms meat-processing plant, founded by the Hawke's Bay Farmers’ Meat Company in 1981. Kintail Honey, one of country's largest honey-packing and beekeeping operations, is also based in the town.[3]
There are two schools in Takapau. The Trappist monastery, the Southern Star Abbey, is also located nearby.
Demographics
editStatistics New Zealand describes Takapau as a rural settlement, which covers 3.18 km2 (1.23 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 700 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 220 people per km2. It is part of the larger Makaretu statistical area.[4]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 516 | — |
| 2013 | 525 | +0.25% |
| 2018 | 597 | +2.60% |
| Source: [5] | ||
Takapau had a population of 597 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 72 people (13.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 81 people (15.7%) since the 2006 census. There were 216 households, comprising 309 males and 288 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female, with 126 people (21.1%) aged under 15 years, 102 (17.1%) aged 15 to 29, 261 (43.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 99 (16.6%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 71.9% European/Pākehā, 41.7% Māori, 2.5% Pacific peoples, 3.0% Asian, and 1.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.8% had no religion, 29.1% were Christian, 4.5% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.5% were Muslim, 1.5% were Buddhist and 2.5% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 33 (7.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 150 (31.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 24 people (5.1%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 234 (49.7%) people were employed full-time, 51 (10.8%) were part-time, and 18 (3.8%) were unemployed.[5]
Marae
editThe local Rongo o Tahu Marae is a tribal meeting ground for the Ngāti Kahungunu hapū of Ngāi Toroiwaho.[6][7]
Education
editTakapau School is a Year 1–8 co-educational state primary school,[8][9] with a roll of 135 as of August 2024.[10][11] The school opened in 1879.[12]
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Takapau is a Year 1–8 is a co-educational state Kura Kaupapa Māori school,[13] with a roll of 29 as of August 2024.[10][14] The school opened in 1994.[15]
Railway station
edit
Takapau had a railway station from 12 March 1877 to 27 September 1981.[17] It was the terminus of the line from Spit for 10 months, until 25 January 1878, when the extension to Kopua opened.[18] Takapau at that time was on the northern edge of the Seventy Mile Bush.[19]
Edmund Allan and Samuel[20] Kingstreet[21] had a £14,100 contract to build the 14 mi (23 km) extension of the Napier to Waipukurau railway south to Takapau.[22] They built a 5th class station in 1875 and Donald McLeod, a Waipukurau carpenter,[23] built a goods shed and platform in 1877. Initially, only one train a day ran from Takapau.[24] In 1890 there were two trains a day.[25] There was a post office at the station from 1887 to 1911. By 1896 there were 30 ft (9.1 m) x 20 ft (6.1 m) and 40 ft (12 m) x 30 ft (9.1 m) goods sheds and also a cart approach, loading bank, cattle yards, stationmaster's house, urinals and a passing loop for 24 wagons, extended to 55 in 1911 and further extended in 1940. In 1905 a verandah was added and the platform extended. Electric lights were installed in 1921. Railway houses were built in 1928 and 1946.[17]
On 27 September 1981[17] the old station closed and a new station[16] and loop line opened near Oruawharo, 3.78 km (2.35 mi)[26] to the east.[27] The loop is still in use, with sidings linking to the Silver Fern Farms works and a platform and shelter remain,[28] which appear weed-grown in a 2015 photo.[29] There has been no regular passenger train since at least 1995.[30] There is now only a single line passing through the original Takapau station site.[31]
There was also a passing loop at Whenuahou, 4 mi 42 ch (7.3 km) south of Takapau, which was originally used for construction of the viaduct to the south.[16]
Climate
edit| Climate data for Takapau (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) |
22.3 (72.1) |
20.2 (68.4) |
17.0 (62.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
11.4 (52.5) |
10.7 (51.3) |
11.8 (53.2) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.8 (60.4) |
17.9 (64.2) |
20.2 (68.4) |
16.5 (61.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) |
16.8 (62.2) |
14.8 (58.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
9.9 (49.8) |
7.6 (45.7) |
6.8 (44.2) |
7.6 (45.7) |
9.3 (48.7) |
11.2 (52.2) |
12.9 (55.2) |
15.1 (59.2) |
11.7 (53.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.1 (52.0) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
7.2 (45.0) |
5.5 (41.9) |
3.7 (38.7) |
3.0 (37.4) |
3.4 (38.1) |
4.9 (40.8) |
6.6 (43.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
7.0 (44.6) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 83.0 (3.27) |
68.1 (2.68) |
71.6 (2.82) |
91.9 (3.62) |
74.9 (2.95) |
100.1 (3.94) |
120.8 (4.76) |
86.5 (3.41) |
86.7 (3.41) |
92.7 (3.65) |
74.0 (2.91) |
74.5 (2.93) |
1,024.8 (40.35) |
| Source: NIWA[32] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b "ArcGIS Web Application". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d Pollock, Kerryn. "Takapau". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
- ^ 2018 Census place summary: Makaretu
- ^ a b "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. 7016705, 7016706, 7016708 and 7016709.
- ^ "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". tkm.govt.nz. Te Puni Kōkiri.
- ^ "Māori Maps". maorimaps.com. Te Potiki National Trust.
- ^ "Official School Website". takapau.school.nz.
- ^ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
- ^ a b "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
- ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
- ^ "Takapau Primary School : 125th Jubilee". Auckland Museum. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ "Ministry of Education School Profile". educationcounts.govt.nz. Ministry of Education.
- ^ "Education Review Office Report". ero.govt.nz. Education Review Office.
- ^ "Hītori". Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Takapau. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ a b c Wheeler, Thomas S (1994). "All Aboard the Train" (PDF).
- ^ a b c "Station Archive". NZR Rolling Stock Lists. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ "OUR HOME LETTER. HAWKE'S BAY HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 2 February 1878. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "NAPIER AND TAKAPAU RAILWAY. HAWKE'S BAY HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 14 March 1877. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "Family Notices". South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900). 16 May 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "OBITUARY. OAMARU MAIL". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 20 December 1909. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "Telegraphic Intelligence. HAWKE'S BAY TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 21 April 1874. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "Personal Items. WAIPAWA MAIL". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 25 June 1908. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "HAWKE'S BAY HERALD". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 30 April 1877. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "TIME TABLE N. Z. RAILWAYS. WAIPAWA MAIL". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 March 1890. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (First ed.). Quail Map Co. 1965. pp. 3 & 4.
- ^ "1:50000 map Sheet: U23 Dannevirke". www.mapspast.org.nz. 1985. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "465 Oruawharo Rd". Google Maps. December 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ Anthony 851 (25 January 2015), Takapau Railway Station., retrieved 3 September 2021
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ 23 April 1995 Bay Express timetable.
- ^ "4 Takapau-Ormondville Rd". Google Maps. July 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Takapau Plains Aws". NIWA. Retrieved 20 May 2024.